Author: Dose

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Time is running out for Pascal Vincent

Is Pascal Vincent’s popularity on the rise throughout the NHL?

I have no doubt the answer is yes, given his success in Laval in 2024-2025. After all, he certainly couldn’t have hurt his chances this season, could he?

I have no doubt that teams are considering him as a potential head coach.

But the question in Vincent’s case is whether the success of the Rocket, who are in the final four of the AHL playoffs, is working against him.

And by necessity, the answer has to be, to a certain extent, yes.

Obviously, if a club really wants him, they can wait. But I wonder how much the NHL teams looking for a pilot – the Kraken, the Penguins and the Bruins – will want to wait until the Rocket is eliminated (or crowned champion) before naming a head coach.

It’s getting late, and the same names keep coming up for the remaining positions.

Does this mean Vincent has definitely missed out this year? No. But it wouldn’t be surprising if the ship had sailed and Vincent hadn’t been able to get his chance.

Good for the Rocket and the Habs… but too bad for him, if that’s what happens.

It’s worth noting that in the past, some coaches have been blocked by their club’s success in the AHL. Todd Nelson, who won the last two Calder Cup titles in Hershey, is a good example sometimes used by Anthony Marcotte.

In other years, he couldn’t talk to NHL teams because he was a victim of his own success. But this year, after failing to reach the final four, his name is suddenly circulating. #PasardDeHasard

Could it be the same thing that’s holding Vincent back? Who knows.

Note that the name of the Penguins has sometimes come up in the case of the Québécois from Laval, as the Pennsylvania club could turn to AHL coaches. How high up on Kyle Dubas’ list is Pascal Vincent? We have no idea.

overtime

– Speaking of the Rocket.

– Carter Bear and the road to recovery. [RG Media]

– Is he the right man for the job?

– What do you think?

– Of note.

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We’ve finally found someone who believes in Filip Mesar

Have you noticed that since the start of the Laval playoffs, Filip Mesar hasn’t been playing at all?

If Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton, who drafted Mesar in 2022, aren’t forcing Pascal Vincent to play him in his first full pro year in North America, it’s because the project is going from bad to worse.

The Habs did it for Jacob Fowler… but not for Mesar.

The way Mesar is playing, it’s getting harder and harder to find people to defend him. And when I say people, I mean other than Juraj Slafkovsky, Habs management, Pascal Vincent or someone connected with the Canadiens.

And why is that? Because his performances simply aren’t up to scratch.

(Credit: Hockey DB)

But with a little digging, we managed to find someone who was willing, publicly, to say that Filip Mesar still has a good chance of breaking into the National Hockey League.

“Someone.” It’s Grok, actually.

X’s artificial intelligence program answered one of my questions about the Canadiens’ off-season (I was eager to see his answer, which sounds a lot like what you read elsewhere) and told me, without warning, about Mesar.

Here’s what was said.

Players like Joel Armia, who has been traded to the Rocket on several occasions, may not return to the regular lineup, especially if young forwards like Ivan Demidov or Filip Mesar continue to develop. – Grok

Obviously, seeing Ivan Demidov and Filip Mesar in the same category made me react. The fact that they’re both first-round picks probably tipped Grok towards that answer, I thought. Maybe that says something about AI, some might say.

So I had to ask what the chances were of Mesar becoming an NHL player. And… in the short term, it’s still more than I could have expected.

Mesar’s chances of becoming a regular NHL player next season are moderate, probably around 30-40%. – Grok

In the medium term (i.e., two or three years), Grok talks of a 60-70% chance of becoming an NHL player if he continues to progress. He’ll have to “improve his physical strength, offensive consistency and defensive play” to get there.

So he’s got to improve quite a bit… everything.

Of course, you know you have to take some and leave some with this exercise, which I did for the fun of it. But my real point as a human being is this: Mesar is left out of the series for a reason.

And that reason is undoubtedly that the Habs don’t really believe in him anymore. Otherwise, he’d at least play a little.

Because he’s a first-round pick, he’ll have chances. But let’s not forget that the Justin Barron deal is a reminder that Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton aren’t afraid to fix their mistakes.

So if Mesar isn’t the man for the job, he won’t get much playing time. He’ll have to earn it (which he hasn’t shown himself capable of doing for a few years now) if he’s ever to get any ice time again.

overtime

– Of note.

– Interesting.

– Good point.

– Indeed.

– Really?

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Confirmed: Ivan Demidov, Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin will not be at the 2026 Olympic Games

It’s official.

Russia will not be able to compete at the next Winter Olympics in 2026. The International Olympic Committee has decided not to reinstate the Russians for the next Olympics.

Russian teams have been banned since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

So that means the Alex Ovechkin, Ivan Demidov and Evgeni Malkin of this world won’t be able to represent Russia at the hockey tournament in less than 10 months’ time.

I don’t know if Demidov would have been invited, but it’s not completely impossible to think so, right?

In 2018 and 2022, when the NHL couldn’t go to the Olympics (so it’s been a while since we’ve seen Ovi at the Games…), the Russians won gold and silver, respectively.

In 2026, this will obviously not be the case.

In hockey, France could replace Russia. Obviously, with all due respect to the French cousins, it won’t be the same caliber of game, since the country doesn’t have as many good hockey players as Russia.

But while it’s a shame for Russian players in particular, it’s a decision that goes beyond sport.

It’s worth noting that France will have a good challenge on their hands, as they face Canada, Switzerland and the Czech Republic in the preliminary phase. So it won’t be easy for the French.

So, yes, the Russians’ exclusion will continue to be the talk of the town.

Details to follow…

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The Canadiens wanted to draft Benoît Pouliot before Carey Price

Looking back at the 2005 NHL draft, the Canadiens had the fifth overall pick.

They made the decision to draft Carey Price, which turned out well. Because, despite the fact that he never won the Stanley Cup in Montreal, he was a goalie who changed many things in Montreal.

He covered up a lot of shortcomings.

But the story could have been very different if the Wild, who had the #4 pick, had decided to go in a different direction. In fact, it would have changed the history of the Canadiens.

Why do I say that?

Because if Minnesota had chosen to draft a player other than Benoît Pouliot, the Canadiens would have taken the OHL product with their #5 pick. He was ranked ahead of Carey Price on Trevor Timmins’ list.

Bob Gainey confirmed to Tony Marinaro (Sick Podcast) that Pouliot was their man at the time.

Good thing the Wild chose Pouliot. After all, not drafting Carey Price would have really affected the franchise since it would have been one less big-name talent in town.

And the Habs, at the time, couldn’t afford to have less than that, you know.

So Pouliot was ranked ahead of Carey Price by the Habs, but also ahead of a guy like Anze Kopitar, who came out at #11 and became a big star in Los Angeles.

So Pouliot was held in high esteem by the Habs. No wonder Gainey, a few months before stepping down as GM, traded Guillaume Latendresse to the Wild to get his hands on the same Pouliot.

Hats off to Bob Gainey, in any case, for telling it like it is. After all, he didn’t have to, and in hindsight, it’s not an anecdote that makes him look good, let’s say.

But we won’t say no to a little transparency.

overtime

– A machine.

– The former Habs player is heading to Switzerland.

– Strange timing to pull this out with the Hurricanes winning last night. But he’s right nonetheless.

– With good reason.

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Paul Maurice “blamed” Sergei Bobrovsky for Panthers’ last two goals allowed

Last night, the Panthers could sweep the Hurricanes in the Eastern final for the second time in three years.

Florida, however, was unable to beat Carolina four times in a row; Rod Brind’Amour’s team won 3-0.

After the game, Paul Maurice jokingly blamed his goalie for the last two goals. Both goals were scored while Sergei Bobrovsky was on the bench.

He still has a good sense of humor, despite the loss, this Paul.

The game was close right up to the very end, until Maurice took out his goalie.

The first and winning goal of the game was scored by Logan Stankoven.

What a shot!

It was the Canes’ first victory in the Association Finals since 2006.

The club ended a 15-game losing streak in the conference finals.

The next game will be played in Carolina tomorrow at 8pm.

The Panthers will have another opportunity to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the third year in a row.

Overtime

– Frederik Andersen’s fifth shutout of the playoffs.

– Nice try, KK.

– Scorers of the game.

(Credit: NHL.com)

– The Oilers can push the Stars to the brink tonight.

(Credit: NHL.com)
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“If Mitch Marner leaves Toronto, he won’t want to play anywhere else in Canada.”

Where will Mitch Marner play in 2025-26? That’s one of the questions that will attract the most attention in the NHL over the next month.

The Maple Leafs forward, who will become a free agent on July 1, appears to be on his way out of Toronto. Seeing him booed in his final moments on the ice sent a strong message: fans want change.

And clearly, Marner can’t be too keen to stay with the team in the face of such fan reaction.

It makes you wonder where Marner will be playing next year… and Anthony Di Marco(Daily Faceoff) chatted with a league executive about Marner.

And from what he could gather, the current feeling about Marner is pretty simple: if he’s playing in Canada next year, it’s because he’ll have stayed in Toronto.

The (already very slim) chances of Marner landing in Montreal are starting to take a beating… and it makes sense: Marner is a Toronto kid who, if he doesn’t stay with his long-time team, will probably want to go somewhere where he’ll be far away from the pressure.

It’s not for nothing that Vegas and Florida are recurring destinations for him.

And since the popular feeling is that Marner won’t be back in Toronto(even if the club wants to sit down with him to talk about it), we can expect to see him head south of the border. Because, obviously, keeping him in Canada doesn’t seem to be the most likely outcome.

Canadian teams will probably try to lure him away… but I really have a feeling that the next time he wears a Canadian team jersey, it’ll be at the Olympics.

Overtime

– News from the Memorial Cup.

– Claude Giroux is negotiating with the Senators.

– The puck and stick from Alex Ovechkin’s historic goal are in Russia.

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Images: Ivan Demidov’s (magnificent) new car, purchased in Montreal

In the last few days, we’ve learned that Ivan Demidov will be spending the entire summer in Montreal. The kid, who joined the Habs at the end of the season, wants to take advantage of the off-season to soak up a bit of Montreal culture.

He’ll also take the opportunity to practice… and you’d think that doing so in the team’s facilities would be an advantage in his eyes.

This means that Demidov will take advantage of the off-season to settle in Montreal… and obviously, he won’t have to ask Lane Hutson to be his personal cab driver.

In the last few hours, Paramount Rentals ‘ Instagram account posted images of one of its most recent clients: Ivan Demidov.

The young Habs forward now has a (gorgeous) gray Audi RS6 2025 to drive around town in.

In the images posted, Demidov and his girlfriend can be seen on site getting their hands on the vehicle. The young Russian, who looked really happy, also took the time to sign a few sweaters for the people on site.

That’s a nice little gesture on his part.

If Demidov wants to immerse himself in Montreal culture, driving into town in the middle of construction season is, well, a great way to do it. For better or worse, hehe.

The youngster has obviously spoiled himself as his summer in the city dawns, and good for him.

The most important thing now is to hope he didn’t learn to drive at the same school as Ilya Kovalchuk.

Overtime

– Minnesota Frost are champions of the LPHF. It’s a second conquest in two years for the Minnesota outfit.

– That’s a good one, hehe.

– He’s incredible.

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Habs goaltender #2: “It’s entirely possible that Cayden Primeau will get his chance at camp”

In recent months, Jakub Dobes stole the auxiliary chair from Samuel Montembeault, a chair that had previously belonged to Cayden Primeau. Primeau had completely lost his confidence in Montreal, and the club took advantage of the Christmas break to make a goalie switch.

And clearly, the decision paid off: Dobes has proved he can hold his own in the Bettman circuit, while Primeau has become a real wall in Laval.

He’s got his confidence back, and it shows.

That said, Primeau’s comeback raises some interesting questions about his future. The Habs will have to decide whether to submit a qualifying offer to Primeau, failing which he will become an unrestricted free agent. And with a qualifying offer, he would become a restricted free agent.

For a while, therefore, the idea of not making a qualifying offer was popular, as he no longer seemed to fit into the plans. But that trend is changing… and on JiC tonight, Anthony Marcotte went a step further when asked if Primeau might have a chance to fight with Dobes for the #2 spot on the Habs next year:

It’s entirely possible. – Anthony Marcotte

Of course, in Primeau’s case, the big problem has always been making the transition from the AHL to the NHL. He had a lot of success with the club-school… but it never really translated to the big club.

He had a few good moments, but nothing more.

Now, the man who only a few months ago seemed ready to be consigned to oblivion is giving himself a chance for a new audition with the big club. He’ll have his work cut out for him to back up Dobes, who’s had some good times in the NHL this year, but there seem to be people who believe in the possibility of a battle for the job.

The Habs may be hoping that Dobes can put some pressure on Montembeault in 2025-26… but maybe the young goalie will also have to deal with a strong comeback from a goalie he’s overtaken in the pecking order this year. Right now, Primeau is showing that the Habs might be better off giving him one last chance this fall.

Overtime

– Rod Brind’Amour stirs his soup.

– When they say he’s a target for a hostile offer sheet…

– Whew.

– Obviously.

– He’s impressing this season.

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Hostile offer sheet: keep an eye on Mavrik Bourque as a possible target this summer

Right now, the Dallas Stars have their hands full with the Edmonton Oilers. Trailing 1-2 in the Western finals, the Texans must find a way to revive their 5-on-5 attack.

Because if the trend continues, they’ll lose to the Oilers in the Western Final for the second year running.

What’s special, though, is that the Stars are struggling despite all the talent in town. Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz (who’s been injured since Game #2, that said) and the list goes on: there are some big earners in town who just aren’t living up to expectations.

And next year, with guys like Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston and Jake Oettinger getting big pay raises, the Stars won’t have a ton of money to sign other players… just like they won’t have a ton of money to sign their own free agents.

And that makes the club susceptible to an offer sheet… and in a recent episode of The Chris Johnston Show, the tipster mentioned Mavrik Bourque as a logical target.

For the past few weeks, there’s been a lot of talk about the possibility of the upcoming summer being “the summer of offer sheets” in the NHL. After all, it paid off handsomely for the Blues (twice over) last summer… and with the salary cap set to rise significantly over the next few years, there are some teams who might take a chance.

That said, the cap is also rising for the teams that hold the rights to these restricted free agents… and that means that, in order to make a successful offer sheet, you’ll have to target a team with little room to manoeuvre, and put them in a tricky position.

In the Stars’ case, the club will have just under $5M under the cap… and guys like Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene and Evgenii Dadonov still don’t have a deal in place for next season.

And that’s not counting Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci… but in their case, they’re expected to leave.

This means that the Stars will have little room to manoeuvre… and that a Jesperi Kotkaniemi-style offer for Bourque, who may want a change of scenery after spending the majority of the current playoffs in the stands, would put the Stars in an unenviable position.

Let’s see if it happens… because he’s a logical target.

Overtime

– I’m thinking the same thing. I don’t think it’s going to happen, though.

– That wouldn’t help the Stars’ case, would it.

– Scott Gomez could take the helm of the Chicago Steel in the USHL. This is Sean Farrell’s former team.

– Indeed.

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Mike Matheson’s future: The Habs better start thinking about it soon

In 24-25, Mike Matheson had his worst offensive season since arriving in Montreal.

He collected “only” 31 points in 80 games, mainly because his role changed slightly.

After all, the emergence of Lane Hutson didn’t help his cause, and let’s not forget one thing either: Matheson lost his position on the first wave of the powerplay.

Matheson still found a way to help the Canadiens because he was playing, night after night, against the best players on the other teams.

And while he’s not perfect defensively, he’s done his job well.

That said, the Québécois is about to enter the final year of his contract, and the Canadiens have a decision to make in his case.

Do we keep him in town, try to trade him at the next deadline to maximize his value if the Habs aren’t in the playoff race… or do we let him test the free agent market in the summer of 2026, with the risk of losing him for free?

There are a lot of questions to ask right now. And it’s safe to say that Kent Hughes is already thinking about them.

(Credit: PuckPedia)

There’s one element that might not work in his favor, and that’s the fact that the Canadiens rely on several left-handed defensemen.

Struble, Xhekaj, Matheson, Hutson, Guhle… that’s a lot of left-handed defensemen. Especially since, apart from Matheson, all these players are younger.

At the same time, we’ve been saying it for a long time, and it’s worth repeating: the Canadiens must also have veterans on their defensive brigade. At least, that’s the case for now and for the next few years, because the youngsters also need coaching.

At 23, Kaiden Guhle may not be ready for that role just yet.

Mike Matheson has proved that he can play an important role in Montreal. He’s only 31, he’s had a good time since joining the Canadiens – even if it’s been tougher offensively this season – and he can be used for anything.

Offering him a new contract shouldn’t necessarily be a priority on the Kent Hughes table, in my eyes.

But it’s still an important issue, and it will be really interesting to see how the organization decides to navigate through it all.

Overtime

– Come on out!

– Sick!

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